It’s time to clip your Maltese’s nails whenever you can hear them clicking on the floor. In fact, the nails should be even with the paw pad; anything hanging over should be clipped. Distasteful as it may be for your dog, it’s important for his health that his nails are kept at a reasonable length. Untrimmed nails can cause the toe pads to splay and make it difficult for your dog to move properly.
You will usually need to clip the nails once every two or three weeks. The nails are softest just after a bath so that is a really good time to clip them. You will have a much easier time with this procedure if you start doing it regularly while your dog is still a puppy. But even if your Maltese is grown when you get him, you can learn to trim his nails yourself. If you’ve never done it before, though, ask your vet or groomer to show you how the first time.
It’s also important that you have the right instruments for the job in this case, a nail trimmer specifically designed for dogs. If you choose clippers, you can use either pliers-type or guillotine-type clippers, whichever you prefer. For small dogs like the Maltese, the guillotine type may be the most effective. In either case, make sure they are sharp! And please be sure to have good lighting—clipping nails is not something you want to do in the dark. You should also have some styptic powder on hand, in case you make a mistake!
Nail Care
If you’re lucky, you’ll have one of those super Maltese who will sit in your lap while you clip the nails. In that case you can actually turn the dog upside down while you clip; this makes it a lot easier. Others may need to be placed on the grooming table and restrained. If you don’t have a grooming table, put the dog on top of the washing machine; it’s slipperyenough so that the dog is not anxious to fall off and he’ll tend to stand very still.
The key to successful nail trimming is to understand the anatomy of the nail. Look carefully at the nail. Inside the center of each nail is the “quick,” or the blood and nerve supply. You don’t want to cut into that! Most Maltese have clear white nails, and the pinkish quick is very easy to see. However, some Maltese do have black nails, in which case you’ll have to make several tiny cuts to reduce the chances of cutting into the quick.
Before you begin clipping your Maltese’s nails, examine the toes for ingrown nails, soreness, redness, swelling, or discharges, and if you detect a problem, call the vet. When you are ready to trim the nail, cut the nail below the quick at a 45 degree angle. The cutting end of the nail clipper should be facing toward the end of the nail. If you make a mistake and clip the nail too short, use some styptic powder, flour, or even cornstarch to stop the bleeding. If the bleeding continues for more than 15 minutes, call your vet.
One of the great things about nail care is that the more you clip your Maltese’s nails, the more the quick will withdraw back into the nail. This means there will be less of a chance that you’ll cut into it the next time. Don’t forget the dewclaws (the little fifth nails on your dog’s front legs), if your Maltese still has them (in some cases they are removed while the dog is still a puppy.) If you like, finish off with a human nail file.
After you finish clipping the nails, take the time to trim out any scraggly hair growing between the toe pads. Otherwise that can mat up and even cause your dog to lose his footing. (This hair grows amazingly fast, by the way.)